Uzbekistan is pursuing a consistent policy in promoting women’s health and preventing cancer in the Aral Sea region

Strengthening the health of mothers and children has always been a priority area of reforms implemented since the first years of independence of Uzbekistan. The country has introduced a number of government programs in this area aimed at further strengthening the reproductive health of the population, protecting the health of mothers, children and adolescents.

Strengthening maternal and child health has always been a priority of the reforms implemented since the first years of independence of Uzbekistan. А number of State programs in this area have been introduced in the country, aimed at further strengthening the reproductive health of the population and protecting the health of mothers, children and adolescents.

Thanks to the highest level of attention to the health of mothers and children in our country, reproductive health services are now available to the entire population of the country and, as a result, the mortality rate of children and mothers has been reduced.

In particular, in 2017-2023, a 1.5-fold reduction in maternal mortality and a 1.3-fold reduction in infant mortality was achieved.

As a result of the implementation of measures defined by the relevant regulatory and legal documents to improve maternal and child health, as well as to further increase the effectiveness of obstetric and gynecological care services from 2017 to 2023 in the Republic:

• in 209 district (urban) multidisciplinary central outpatient clinics, “Women’s consultation” units, “Girls’ health centers” and “Onko-nazorat” (onco-control) rooms have been set up to ensure joint activities between outpatient clinics and inpatient facilities, maternity hospitals, dispensaries and specialized centers for the prevention of reproductive health, the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and the conduct of prenatal check-ups;
• inpatient pediatric gynecology units have been set up in 13 regional children’s multidisciplinary medical centers and pediatric gynecology units 20 beds at the clinic of the Tashkent Pediatric Medical Institute;
• a vertical structure for the pediatric gynecological service has been established;
• annually, an average of 20,000 of the 6.5 million girls surveyed are diagnosed with reproductive system dysfunctions and pathologies, and receive appropriate outpatient and inpatient treatment;
• an autonomous electronic database of women of fertile age and pregnant women locally attached to the region has been created in each “Women’s Consultation” department;
• emergency gynecology departments with 30 beds have been set up in 13 regional branches of the Republican Scientific Center for Emergency Medical Care (RSCEMC);
• a universal-progressive model of patronage for pregnant women, women in labor and children has been created based on UNICEF recommendations;
• assisted reproductive technologies (IVF) have been introduced in the private health sector;
• 2 projects are being implemented with the support of international organizations piloting different models of cervical cancer screening.

Currently, there are 15 stationary and 16 mobile offices for mammography screening in the country. In May 2021, for the first time mammographic screening was launched in the republic. Between May 2021 and 2023, 140506 women were screened (70.2% of the target group was covered).

The following were detected: 327 new cases of breast cancer, 2300 benign masses, 7097 precancerous lesions. Among the detected cases of breast cancer, 246 (80.9%) women were diagnosed at stages 1-2, and 81 (19.1%) women were diagnosed at stages 3-4.

In addition, the State has been paying a great deal of attention to improving the health of the child population. Free provision of medicines, medical devices and special food products for children suffering from rare (orphan) and other hereditary genetic diseases has been introduced, and the range of medical and social assistance provided to them has been expanded.

Children’s anesthesiology and resuscitation departments and 24-hour pediatric emergency posts have been established in district (city) medical associations, and children’s departments have been set up in outpatient clinics.

An additional 8,500 pediatric nurses and midwives have been assigned to more than 17,500 medical teams. Free provision of children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age with the necessary vitamin complexes, iodine, iron and folic acid preparations has been introduced.

Thus, in 2023, 8 million children aged 3 to 15, 2.2 million pregnant and lactating women were provided with iodine preparations free of charge, and 5.9 million women of childbearing age up to the age of 35 – iron and folic acid preparations.

Within the framework of the nationwide movement on proper nutrition, healthy lifestyle and physical activity of the population, the launch of which was announced by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan at the end of 2022, the health authorities, along with local authorities, civil society institutions, non-governmental organizations and the media, have started to implement the programs “Healthy Nation” and “Healthy Family Planning”.

At the same time, the issues of forming healthy families through prevention of unwanted pregnancies, birth spacing, promotion of breastfeeding and early diagnosis of pregnancy pathologies have been prioritized.

A significant document aimed at further improving the organization of medical care, prevention and early detection of diseases among the population of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, was the decision of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On further strengthening the protection of public health in the Republic of Karakalpakstan in 2022-2024”.

A document that provides for improving the quality and bringing medical services closer to the population, strengthening the material and technical base of medical services to the population, strengthening the material and technical base of the region’s medical institutions The document was adopted after an open dialog between the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and representatives of the health sector on the theme “Reforms in medicine – for the sake of human dignity” in July 2022.

This decision entrusts the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Karakalpakstan with such priority tasks as restoring the gene pool and protecting the health of the population living in the Aral Sea region, promoting a healthy lifestyle, assisting in the introduction of a culture of family health into everyday life, improving the health of the population, especially children and women, providing children, women of childbearing age, pregnant women and nursing mothers with preventive special medicines free of charge, and carrying out the following activities: (a) the development of a healthy lifestyle; (b) the promotion of a healthy lifestyle; (c) the promotion of a culture of family health in everyday life; and (d) the promotion of a culture of family health.